Google Mobile and Places Integration

Peter Prestipino

Posted on 6.13.2011

Google has been focusing heavily on mobile and local search
recently and released two features today which help further its prominence in
these arenas.

Google added new “shortcuts” (see image below) to commonly
searched local categories e.g. restaurants, bars, coffee shops, on the mobile
Google homepage. Selecting these icons will send the visitor to a results page
which displays a map with markers of the users current location and nearby
places.

Users will be able to scroll through the results while the
map remains constant at the top of the page and will adjust to the listing
being viewed. Other Places directories, like ATMs, fast food, and gas stations,
can also be searched locally.

Another feature introduced today is a way for users to build
longer, more complicated (specific) searches. Users can
essentially now add suggested phrases to the search box and “build” the best
search piece by piece. This feature is currently available on the Google Search
app for Android and iOS devices and should soon be available from mobile
browsers.